title: Guidelines for psychosocial interventions in dementia care: a European survey and comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in treating people with dementia and their carers is increasingly emphasised in the literature. Dementia guidelines should summarise the scientific evidence and best practice that is currently available, therefore, it should include recommendations for psychosocial interventions. The aims of our study were (1) to collate dementia guidelines from countries across Europe and to check whether they included sections about psychosocial interventions, and (2) to compare the methodological quality and the recommendations for specific psychosocial interventions in these guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  The European dementia guidelines were inventoried. The methodological quality of the guideline sections for psychosocial interventions was assessed with the (AGREE) Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation instrument. The recommendations for specific psychosocial interventions were extracted from each of these guidelines and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Guidelines for psychosocial interventions were found in five of 12 countries. Guideline developers, methodological quality and appreciation of available evidence influenced the inclusion of psychosocial interventions in dementia guidelines from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. The UK NICE SCIE guideline had the best methodological quality and included the most recommendations for psychosocial interventions. Physical activity and carer interventions were recommended the most across all guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inclusion of psychosocial interventions in dementia guidelines is limited across Europe. High-quality guidelines that include psychosocial interventions and are kept up to date with the emerging evidence are needed. Throughout Europe, special attention to the implementation of evidence-based psychosocial care is needed in the next few years.
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare and Nijmegen Alzheimer Centre, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. emmelyne.vasse@hotmail.nl
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vasse
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vernooij-Dassen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cantegreil
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorenlot
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moniz-Cook
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005060:Europe; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D012944:Social Support